Hermione's Big Adventure
by RavenGhostWriter
Summary: Hermione lives a rather boring life filled with homework and school. How will her life change as her ability to sense the world around her changes? And how will magic fit into her new normal?
1. Visual Changes

Author's Note: This is a very different story than what I usually write. Hermione is the main character, not Harry.

 **Disclaimer:** The brilliant and wonderful J.K. Rowling created the Harry Potter world and the characters it contains. As such, they belong to her and we are merely playing around with different situations we can dream up. No copyright infringement is intended. This disclaimer applies to all of the chapters in the story even if it is not included at the beginning of every chapter. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: Visual Changes**

Ten-year-old Hermione Granger laid on her bed, after doing all of her homework. She was tired, as she seemed to be having trouble reading the words on the papers so doing her homework seemed to take three times as long. She felt like her world was narrowing, or at least what she could see clearly was becoming less clear, especially around the edges. She didn't want to worry her parents with something that might just be a silly problem from watching too many cartoons. Perhaps she just needed to eat more carrots and read fewer books.

"Hermione? Are you ready for dinner? We're going out," said a calm voice from the door to her bedroom.

Hermione nodded to her mother and followed her downstairs and out of the house.

Hermione picked up the menu, trying to decide if she should treat herself to fish and chips, or just stick with a salad. She knew that her parents would not like her eating fish and chips. She sighed and started looking at the different salads. But she couldn't see the print, so she squinted her eyes to try to read it.

"Hermione honey, are you having trouble reading the menu?" her mum asked with worry.

"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm sorry! I've been having trouble reading for several months but I didn't think it was this bad. I thought it was a phase."

"Let's decide on food then we will make an appointment with the eye doctor in the morning. What do you want to eat?" asked her father.

"Fish and chips but I know you and mum prefer that I eat more vegetables so I wanted to look at the salads," said Hermione.

"Fish and chips it is. You may share a small salad with your mum if you wish," said her dad.

The next day was Friday. Hermione went to school but returned home crying. She couldn't understand why she couldn't read anything anymore. Her mum told her that she had an appointment with the eye doctor on Monday.

The weekend was a blur for her. Her parents had to read her homework to her, because she could only make out a few words. Much of the weekend was filled with tears and worry.

On Monday, Hermione left school early to see the doctor. She hated missing any school. The eye doctor, Dr. Baxter, started examining her eyes with a flashlight before saying that he was going to check her eye pressure. He put a couple of eye drops in her eyes before putting a tool near her eye. She was surprised that she could barely feel it, except for a little tickle.

"Her eye pressure's very high," said Dr. Baxter. "I'm going to ask you to try reading some letters to me, okay?"

Hermione nodded. He held some letters in front of her eyes, but she couldn't read them. He then tried bigger letters, and she still couldn't make them out. She started crying.

The nurse handed her a tissue as Dr. Baxter put everything away.

"I'm afraid that she is losing her sight," he said to her parents. "She has glaucoma. It could have been treated, but we didn't catch it soon enough. I'm very sorry about this."

"Will I lose all of my sight?" Hermione sobbed.

"I cannot promise that we can prevent more vision loss, but we can try to keep your current vision stable," said Dr. Baxter. "You will have to take eye drops to keep your eye pressure down."

"How am I supposed to go to school?" cried Hermione in a panic.

"I recommend that you go to the Training Institute For the Blind," said Dr. Baxter. "They can help you learn braille, they'll teach you about daily living skills, like personal management, cooking, meal preparation, money organizing, and more."

"Can I go?" asked Hermione, looking at her parents.

"I don't see why not," said her mum. "I think you'll need this training."

"How am I supposed to finish my last week of school?" Hermione asked the doctor.

"I think you should start this week," said Dr. Baxter. "The teachers there will help you complete any schoolwork."

"I'll call them as soon as we get home. Thank you, Dr. Baxter," said Hermione's dad, shaking his hand.


	2. The Training Institute For The Blind

**Chapter 2: The Training Institute for the Blind**

As soon as they got home, Hermione's dad called the phone number from the doctor. He put it on speaker so they could hear what was being said.

"This is Teresa from the Training Institute For the Blind, how can I help you?" said a voice.

Her dad started introducing himself to Teresa, and explained the situation.

"Do you think we can get Hermione into your training institute?" he asked.

"Yes," said Teresa. "She can do the Summer Personal Adjustment Training Program, which lasts for several weeks. We also have students who return for other weekend programs during the school year, so that's always an option. I will just ask a few simple questions, and I would like to talk to Hermione, then we'll see if we can get her in tomorrow or Wednesday."

After the representative asked her dad some basic questions about Hermione, like her birthday and such, the phone was handed to Hermione.

"Hello Hermione," said Teresa. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm well," said Hermione.

"Can you tell me what you can see?" Teresa asked. "We need to know so we can put it into your notes."

"I can see light, dark, shadows, and colors, but no print," said Hermione sadly.

"Ok," said Teresa. "Thank you. Do you wear glasses?"

"No," said Hermione.

"Ok," said Teresa. "Normally we would send over a welcome letter, but in your situation, we want you to come as soon as possible, so you're going to be told about all rules and guidelines when you get here. Our training institute is in London, so that is not very far away from your location. You will come on Wednesday, at 1300."

"Thank you!" said Hermione, feeling lighter now that she knew that she was going to get training.

"Oh, and one more thing," said Teresa. "Please put clothing and towels and other cloth items in a suitcase and anything that might not be able to be heated or could melt, into a different bag. When you get here, you will have to put your suitcase in the heat tent, in order to make sure no bed bugs enter the building."

"Why would bed bugs be in the building?"

"It has happened before, so it's a safety feature."

"Ok," Hermione said.

When they got off the phone, Hermione clapped her hands in excitement. She was going to get training.

The next day found Hermione packing her suitcase and putting toiletry and other non-clothing items into another bag. Her parents helped her with a lot of the packing, but she picked out the clothes.

She enjoyed a nice family dinner of her favorite, pizza. She went to bed early that night so she could get up and ready in the morning.

The next morning, she ate a big breakfast then finished some last minute packing. She got into the car and they drove to London, stopping for lunch before arriving at the Training Institute.

When they arrived, they pressed a button at the entrance that let them enter the building. A woman greeted them and introduced herself as Lora. She motioned for them to follow her. She led them to a room that she explained was called the Zap Bug room. She took Hermione's suitcase and explained that it was going into the heat tent for four hours, and she would be called from her room phone when it was ready to be picked up. Once her suitcase was inside the tent, Lora led the family to room 312. She handed Hermione a key and showed her how to open the door.

"This is your room," she said. "I encourage you to always lock your door when you leave, even if you're only going to be gone for a few minutes."

"This place is amazing," said her mum.

"Yeah!" said Hermione. "I can't wait!"

"I'll give you some time to unpack your bag," said Lora. "When you are done, please come to the Support Room. It is across the hall from here."

Twenty minutes later, the family was sitting in the Support Room. Lora gave Hermione and her parents papers to sign, and explained that she couldn't let strangers or people that they didn't know, into the building. Hermione nodded in understanding. Lora then told Hermione that she would be having a tour of the building and a talk with her counselor in twenty minutes. She hugged her parents, and started crying. She didn't want them to leave, but they promised to keep in touch with her.

Five minutes after her parents left, a lady came in, and introduced herself as Amber. She started measuring Hermione's height before giving her something that looked like a stick.

"This is a cane," said Amber. "You will need it at all times. You cannot leave your room or any room, for that matter, without your cane."

"But I don't even know how to use it!" Hermione said.

"Let me give you a quick introduction," said Amber. She showed Hermione how to hold her cane in front of her, and what grip to use on it.

"You will be having me for Travel class," said Amber. "I will see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," said Hermione.

Just as Amber was leaving, a man came to the door. Amber said hello before stepping out.

"Hello Scott," said Lora. "Hermione's in here. Hermione, this is your counselor, Scott. He's going to give you a tour of the building and go over your schedule with you, ok?"

"Ok," said Hermione. She couldn't wait to see the building layout.

"Are you ready for your tour, Hermione?" Scott asked.

"Yes!" she cried, jumping up and hurrying to the door. "I love new adventures!"

First, Scott showed her where the fire doors were from her room, which wasn't too far down the hall, and he said that they led out to the courtyard. Next up was the Support Room. Scott told her that the door would always be open unless the staff members were speaking with another student. He showed her how to gently determine whether the door was open of closed, using the tip of her cane.

Next, they went to the end of the hall, and turned left to find the library.

"There are braille, large print, and audio books in there," said Scott.

"I can't believe it!" said Hermione. "A library! Yes! I love libraries! And books, I really love books!"

Next she was shown the Social Room, which contained of tables, couches, and a piano. There was a door in the Social Room that led to the library.

Next, they found the Travel classroom, which shared a hallway with the offices for several of the teachers. Finally, Scott showed Hermione the entrance to the building and explained about the key card Amber would be giving her in the morning.

Right as Hermione was about to ask about the locations of the other classrooms, Scott stated they would now be going to another wing of the building that had to be accessed by going past the front doors.

They passed the Arts and Crafts room, the Nutrition room, the Life Skills room, the Cooking room, the Braille room, and the Technology room. Scott stopped her as they came to the next room.

"This is Karen's office," he said. "If I'm not here and you need to speak with someone on a weekday, you come talk to Karen. Karen is a counselor like me, so we only work during week, and the rest of the time, the support staff are here, if you ever need them."

"Hello Hermione," said Karen, coming out of her office. "You will be seeing me for Study Skills, which is in my office, and in there, we'll be working your schoolwork so we can send it through the mail back to the school. I shall see you around!"

They returned to the main lobby area, where Scott indicated the location of the front desk before they headed down yet another hall. He stopped her at the first door.

"This is my office," he said. "You will come here whenever you see my name on your schedule. I think that is all you need to know. There are more offices for the teachers further down this hallway. If you step into my office and take a seat, we have a few things to talk about, plus I'd like to explain your schedule. Do you have a tablet?"

"No," said Hermione. "I've never had one."

"And seeing as you don't know braille yet, and you don't have a tablet, I recorded your schedule onto this recorder. You can borrow it until we can sort out your best technology options."

Scott moved to a chair next to hers and showed her how to operate the recorder. As she hit "Play" his familiar voice announced the day of the week before outlining her Thursday schedule.

8:00: Travel, Rm 210 with Amber

9:35 to 9:50: Break

9:50: Counseling, Scott's Office

10:40: Computers, Rm 105 with Caitlin

11:30 to 12:30: Lunch

12:30: Braille, Rm 107 with Marsha

1320: Life Skills, Rm 113 with Wendy

1405 to 1420: Break

1420: Personal Management in your room with Patricia

1510: Cooking, Rm 111 with Patricia

1555: Study Skills, Karen's Office

Hermione stopped the recorder, deciding to wait and hear the rest of the week's schedule when she was in her room.

"If you have trouble getting to any class, either the Support Room or the front desk will help you," Scott said. "Use this recorder for this week, and by the end of the week, you will have a tablet with a voice on it, and Caitlin will help you set up an email account, so your schedules can be emailed to you by Kelsey, one of our support staff."

"I have a question," Hermione said, suddenly realizing something. "I don't know any of the rules here! How am I supposed to know what rules to follow? What if I break one without knowing what it is?"

"Hermione, slow down," Scott said. "Tomorrow when you have a session with me, I'm going to go through the rules with you. I highly doubt that you'll break any rules on the first night, so I don't want you to worry about that. If you are interested in knowing more details about what I might miss, we can email you a copy of the handbook when you get your tablet."

"Ok, thank you!" said Hermione. "And my parents said that emailing takes awhile, because it's so slow and the Internet connection is always poor."

"In some places, yes, but technology is improving every day. Using email and the Internet here won't be a problem. I use email every day."

"You use email every day?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I am blind, so people email me everything that would normally be on paper, and my computer voice reads it to me. You will learn more about that with Caitlin."

Hermione was shocked. Her counselor was blind? She never realized that he had a cane! That just showed how horrible her vision was now.

"If you're blind, then how do you get around the building so well?" she asked.

"I've been here for a few years, and you get used to where everything is, so in no time, it's nothing," Scott said, then checked his watch. It said that it was 1630.

"It talks?" she asked, amazed.

"Yes it does," said Scott, standing up. "And my time is up for me today. The staff usually leaves at 1630 each day, but there will always be a support staff in the building at all hours, so you're never on your own. I'll see you tomorrow!"


	3. First Day

**Chapter 3: First Day**

That night, Lora helped Hermione learn the process of getting her food, and finding a place to sit. She sat with a girl named Krista, who seemed nice, but Hermione thought something was a bit off in how she acted. It made Hermione wary of her but her parents always taught her not to make judgments about people whom you've just met.

The next morning, Hermione went to the Travel classroom, where she met Amber, who introduced her to some of the other Travel instructors before taking her to the entrance to show her how to work her key card. She learned that there was a box on the wall outside of every building entrance that, when she placed her card against it, would unlock the door.

Hermione enjoyed her break, how could using a cane to walk be so tiring? She took her time getting to Scott's office as she could remember the area but the cane kept getting in her way. With only a couple minutes left before she needed to be in his office, Hermione asked for help at the front desk. A kind assistant showed her which turn to make and told her Scott's door was open.

"Good morning," Hermione said, closing the door behind her. "It's Hermione."

"Good morning Hermione," said Scott. "According to your notes, Amber said that your first lesson with her was a bit stressful for you. Is this true?"

"It's all new to me, so is a little stressful," said Hermione.

"I see. Well, it'll get easier as you start using your cane more. Now, I would like to go through the rules and guidelines with you. First thing's first, Lora told you that you can't let strangers into the building, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, if you have visitors come to see you, like your family, they can come in by buzzing in, or you can let them in, since we already know them. But if people come to see you that we don't know, then they'll have to buzz in. Any questions so far?"

"No," Hermione said. "It makes sense."

"Good," said Scott. "Now, all visitors have to leave by 2200. Also, if you leave for the weekend, then you'll have to put whatever you take with you, into the heat tent when you return. Also, when you get your tablet, you need to know that you cannot look up inappropriate content. The Internet is monitored at all times, so if you do look up something that you shouldn't, your Internet rights can be taken away from you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "But what if I hear other people looking up that kind of stuff?"

"Then please tell a staff member at once. We try to catch everyone who does that, but we're not always successful. Also, if you have any technology difficulties in the evenings, either the Support Room or our activity director, Noah, can help you. Noah's very good with technology."

"Activities?" Hermione asked, suddenly interested. "Like what?"

"Yes, activities. Noah takes students out for ice cream, to the mall, and the play park. Or, some nights, he'll play games with you all here. If he's not here, the student assistants play games with the students. You are not required to attend, but I encourage you to attend to make friends. Now, your parents didn't sign the form saying you can leave the building without a staff member. This means, you can't leave the building on your own or with another student. You are allowed into the courtyard on your own."

Hermione nodded then blushed. How silly of her. Scott couldn't see her nod. "Ok," she said.

"Room inspections are on Wednesdays at 1600. Kelsey will check your room to make sure it is clean and neat. If you're not able to be there at that time, you will have to find Kelsey when you get back, so she can check your room. Patricia will teach you how to clean your floors, clean the bathroom, and organize your belongings."

"I try to keep everything neat," Hermione commented.

"That's good. Now, if you hear other students being mean, fighting, or any kind of drama that you are involved in, or if you are not involved in it, come to me at once. Drama is not tolerated here, and neither is any type of bullying. If someone is causing drama on the weekend or in the evenings, please go to the Support Room. The Support staff will try to sort things out. There have only been a couple of times when Karen and I had to come in during our off hours. Normally things can be sorted out without our involvement."

After Scott explained the last few rules, like when to be back inside the building, and about where to go if there were fire drills, she was dismissed to her next class.

Next, she had Computers with Caitlin. Caitlin introduced her to JAWS, a screen reader that Hermione immediately got annoyed with, but was told she would have to get used to it. She learned about the task bar, the desktop, and how to find programs on the computer.

The afternoon of classes went well, and Hermione learned about the Pen Friend, a device where she could record her voice to label something. She told Wendy that she wanted one, and Wendy told her to ask her counselor for one.

In Cooking, she learned how to spread butter without being able to see if enough was on the bread by gently touching the surface. She also learned how to fill a cup or glass with liquid. In Personal Management, she learned how to clean the floors which was not different from cleaning them at home. Patricia, seeing Hermione knew how to clean already, went ahead and showed her how to clean the bathroom. Hermione was relieved that cleaning without being able to see merely meant she needed to keep to a certain pattern as to not miss any spots.

Finally, it was time to see Karen. Karen turned out to be very strict and straightforward, and Hermione noted that Karen was a good teacher who kept to the topic at hand. As she was only missing the last week of school, she did not have much work to complete and they were able to complete all of it during their session. Karen informed her that they would be starting with braille the next day and gave her alphabet cards to start with that evening.

Hermione met Corinne, a student assistant, at dinner. Corinne said she helped Noah with the evening and weekend activities. After dinner, Noah invited everyone to the Social Room to play some card and board games. Hermione played Uno, even though Corinne had to help her with reading the cards, as Hermione didn't know enough braille to play alone. Krista, however, seemed to not like the fact that Hermione needed help. She started teasing Hermione when they were done with the game.

"Hermione, are you so special that you need special attention?" she teased.

"I am new and I don't know braille," said Hermione. "And everyone needs help sometimes."

"You're so special that you were kicked out of school so that you could come here and learn," said Krista. "You must be a really bad girl!"

"Stop it!" said Hermione, with her hands on her hips. "How would you feel if you lost your sight just as the school year was ending? Wouldn't you have come too?"

"Shut up Hermione, you're talking nonsense," said Krista.

Hermione huffed in response and marched back to her room, determined not to let Krista's teasing bother her anymore. She thought about speaking with the Support staff, but decided that she would give Krista another chance.


	4. Team Building

**Chapter 4: Team-Building?**

The next morning, Hermione was in her room, getting ready for classes, when the loudspeaker crackled to life.

"All students please report to the Social room for a quick meeting before breakfast."

Hermione jumped up and bolted out the door, pausing long enough to lock her door before hurrying to the Social room. When everyone was sitting down, Hermione heard a woman's voice say, "Attention please!"

Hermione whispered to the student next to her, "Who is that?"

"That's Carrie, the director of the Training Institute," said the student.

"Starting Monday, we will be doing a Team-Building Week," said Carrie. "It's a week long program we have once a year, where students come here to learn about team-building. Each and every student that is already here will be a part of that program, and ten additional students will be joining us. Regular classes won't be in session. Instead, Mariah and Karen will be doing activities with all of you during normal class hours, and in the evenings, Noah and Scott will be doing activities with you. Also activities will be designed to help you build confidence with working in a group, and these activities will educate you to work as a team. But all the same rules still apply. Please be respectful to the staff that is going to help you, and also please be kind to your team. If you're not kind to your own team, teamwork will be a big problem. Any questions?"

"Who is Mariah?" Hermione asked.

"Mariah is the Arts and Crafts instructor," said Carrie.

"I thought the staff left at 1630," said Hermione.

"For short programs like this, staff members have different schedules," said Carrie.

Hermione loved working with other people. She always believed that schools didn't do enough team-building activities, so it would be good to get some experience this upcoming week.

Carrie dismissed them to go to breakfast before heading to their classes. Hermione was excited to finally meet Marsha, the braille teacher.

"Did Karen give you alphabet cards to study?" Marsha asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Is she going to be teaching me too?"

"Yes, she is going to help you study the braille, but I will teach you the material."

"That makes sense," Hermione said.

Hermione learned about the first three letters in braille, and when the class was over, she went back to her room, grateful for the hour break before lunch.

After lunch, Caitlin introduced her to her tablet, and started showing her the basic skills on how to use it.

After her last class, Hermione had a break before dinner, so she decided to go into the library and take a look at the amount of books that were in there. However, the moment she stepped into the room, she heard, "Who's there?"

Hermione recognized Krista's voice. "It's Hermione," she said.

"I'm going to make sure you're on my team for the team-building week," Krista said.

"Actually, I think they'll change the groups throughout the week," Hermione said.

"Why would they change the teams?" Krista asked coldly.

"They'll probably want us to work with everyone, not just the same people all week."

"Shut up," said Krista. "You don't know anything. You're still new here."

"Be nice!" said Hermione angrily. "I won't tolerate you bullying me!"

"I would never bully anyone," said Krista. "I have no idea where you got that silly idea from, but you've obviously lost your mind."

Hermione left the library, determined to avoid Krista as much as possible. On the way back to her room, she heard Karen saying goodbye to Lora before stepping out of the Support Room. The look on Hermione's face caught her attention.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Hermione said, sounding much calmer than she looked.

"Well, ok," said Karen. "I'll see you on Monday."

But as Karen walked towards the entrance to leave for the weekend, she thought about the way Hermione was acting, and how Hermione had obviously tried hiding her anger over something or someone. She stopped at Scott's office and explained what she had observed. They agreed that it was worth talking to her about it on Monday.


	5. Team Building and More Drama

**Author's note** : Please note that in this story, the law about muggles not knowing about magic doesn't apply. Also, I hope you're enjoying the story! Please leave a review to let me know what you think of it! Enjoy this chapter!

 **Chapter 5: Team Building And More Drama**

On Sunday afternoon, new students started coming in. Hermione thought that most of them were nice, but one boy, Andy, was mean from the moment he walked in the door. He didn't let the Support staff show him around the building, stating he didn't want help and that he was perfectly capable of finding his own way around. Clara, from the Support room, told him that every student got a tour when they first arrived, but he refused to go on the tour.

While eating dinner, Hermione could hear Krista talking and laughing with Andy. It was obvious they were already best friends, which made Hermione worry.

The next morning, all students went to the Social room immediately after breakfast. Mariah started the students on icebreakers, so they would all get to know who was there and who was on their team. Karen assigned teams to everyone, four students for each group. Hermione was relieved that Krista and Andy weren't in her group, but Karen said that groups would change every day so that everyone would have the chance to work with all of their peers. Mariah talked about the importance of participation in all of the activities, even if you do not like it.

After lunch, they started their first activity, which was thinking what they would do if they were stranded on a desert island for ten days. Hermione's teammates agreed they needed ways to get off the island and I that was not possible then they might as well enjoy the vacation. Hermione noticed that not all teams were laughing as much as hers.

Everything went well until after dinner when Scott and Noah announced the teams for the next day. Hermione ended up in a team with both Krista and Andy. To allow teams a chance to get to know each other, Scott started explaining the evening challenge. Each team had to build a tower using the assortment of items provided. The team with the tallest tower would win a prize.

Hermione immediately got started, brainstorming with the fourth member of their group and trying to include Krista and Andy in the discussion.

"Hermione, do you think you can do this?" asked Krista.

Just as Hermione was going to respond, Andy and Krista both knocked over the progress they'd made on their tower. Marshmallows spilled over the table and the popsicle sticks went flying. Hermione glared angrily at Krista, wanting to do something in revenge. Krista's shriek caught the attention of Scott, who came over to investigate the commotion.

"What is going on over here?" Scott asked.

"It's all Hermione's fault!" said Krista angrily. "She did it!"

"Did what, exactly?" Scott asked calmly.

"My hair is purple!" Krista exclaimed.

"How is that my fault? You destroyed our tower!" said Hermione.

"I would never!" said Krista. "I was just sitting here, minding my own business, working on our tower and you turned my hair purple and caused our tower to explode."

Hermione felt like crying. She knew that she would be in trouble now.

"Hermione, please come with me," said Scott.

Krista laughed. "See Hermione? You're in big trouble!" she said.

"Krista, I will talk to you later," said Scott. "Do not think that I'm only talking to Hermione."

But before Hermione could do anything else, Hermione heard Krista say, "Hey! How did you do that? You changed my hair back to normal? Thanks Scott!"

Hermione was confused at this point as Scott told Noah that he was taking Hermione to his office for a few minutes. When they were safely inside the office, Hermione asked a question before Scott started speaking.

"What in the world is going on?"

"Did Krista knock over the tower?" Scott asked.

"Both her and Andy," Hermione said. "But I don't get it! How did her hair change color?"

"I think that it's time you learn about something that will effect you for the rest of your life," said Scott. "Do you believe in magic?"

"No," said Hermione. "I used to read fairytales, but never believed in them."

"Magic is real," said Scott. "You're a witch."

"I'm a what?" Hermione exclaimed. "How could you call me a witch?"

"Hermione, calm down. It is not an insult. You are a witch, which is what girls and women who can do magic are called. Men and boys, like myself, are called wizards."

"Magic is real?"

"Yes, it's real," said Scott. "On your eleventh birthday this September, you will receive a letter announcing your acceptance into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Because your birthday is after September 1st, you will have to wait until next year to start but you will be able to get your supplies and start learning about the world."

"You are a wizard?" asked Hermione. She couldn't believe this. "Then why don't you do a job with other people with magic?"

"Because I have found a liking for working with blind and visually impaired people here," said Scott. "But as I was saying, I was able to change Krista's hair back to its original color with magic."

"How can you do magic without being able to see?" Hermione asked.

"I have a little bit of sight, but even if I didn't have any vision, I can still do it. You will be able to as well."

"Are you sure I'm a witch?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, there's proof, because you used what's called accidental magic to change Krista's hair," said Scott. "You wouldn't have been able to do that without magic."

"Are there any more staff members here with magic?" Hermione asked.

"There's only one more staff member who does, and that is Kelsey from the Support room. She's a nurse here. That is, to muggles, she is, but to witches and wizards, she is actually a medi-witch. And before you ask, a muggle is someone who has no magic."

"Is it normal for wizards and witches to work with muggles?" Hermione asked.

"It's more common now than it used to be," Scott said.

"Are there any rules about this?" Hermione asked. "Like, am I allowed to tell people that I'm a witch?"

"Yes, you are, but please only tell the people you trust, such as your parents. I will meet with your parents since this can be difficult to understand. I suggest you don't tell everyone you meet. I know it is exciting but it could allow for more teasing."

"But what are we going to do about Krista and Andy?" Hermione asked.

"I'm Krista's counselor, but Karen's Andy's counselor, so Andy will have to wait until tomorrow morning to talk to Karen. But I will talk to Krista tonight. It's obvious you've been having a lot of trouble with her, haven't you?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "I thought I could deal with her, but apparently I can't. I don't understand what I did."

"Like I told you before, if someone is teasing you, please come to me as soon as possible, so we can get it sorted out," said Scott. "Now, are you ready to go back to the activities?"

"Yes!"

As soon as she got back to the Social room, Noah directed her to a new team, away from both Krista and Andy. She happily joined her new team and suggested they make the base of their tower wider to allow it to be more stable and taller. In the end, it would have been a tie for first but because of the wider base, her team's tower stayed standing whereas the other team's toppled over just as it was measured. Scott used his cane as the device to measure the height of the towers, making everyone laugh.


	6. The Meeting

**Chapter 6: The Meeting**

The next morning, Karen found Hermione in the Social room.

"Hermione, your parents are here. Scott is waiting for you in his office with them. Please go join them. Don't look so worried, you are not in trouble." Said Karen.

Hermione knew her parents were there to hear about her having magic. She arrived at Scott's office within minutes, and hugged her parents before taking a seat between them.

"Last night, Hermione and three other students were supposed to be working together to build a tower, but two of the students in her group purposely knocked over the tower, upsetting Hermione. She accidentally changed one student's hair to purple."

"How did Hermione change her hair color?" questioned her parents, sounding both shocked and confused.

"Her outburst is what is known as accidental magic," said Scott.

"I'm sorry to say this, but you must be joking right now," said her dad. "There's no such thing as magic."

"Mum, Dad," said Hermione. "Scott's right. He's not joking. I changed Krista's hair out of anger. Not this year, but next year I'll go to a school to learn magic."

The office was silent. Then her mum finally found her voice, "How did you change her hair back to the original color?"

"I am a wizard, so I was able to quickly return Krista's hair to its natural color," said Scott. "I know this is shocking to you both, but Hermione is a witch and magic is real. On her eleventh birthday, she will get a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Because her birthday is after September 1st, she will not be able to start Hogwarts until the following year."

"Where do witches and wizards get their school supplies?" her mum asked.

"In Diagon Alley," said Scott. "It's hidden to all people without magic. It's not that you can't go into Diagon Alley, but more that the entrance is invisible to people without magic, known as muggles."

"I really want to check this place out," said Hermione. "Is there any way that I can go to see what it's like even before my letter arrives this fall?"

"Possibly," said Scott. "I will do some brainstorming on ideas on how maybe you, myself, and Kelsey from the Support room, can go to Diagon Alley, and your parents can come too, if they wish."

Hermione felt hope fill her. Could she really see what the magical world was like beforehand?

"Thank you for coming in, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," said Scott. "If you have any questions at any time, you can always reach out to me." He handed her parents a card with contact information.

Hermione hugged her parents again as they left.

Hermione made her way back to the Social room just in time to hear Karen talking about the next activity. They had to think of as many stores as possible and write them down in only two minutes. Hermione worked with a girl named Becca, who was very nice. Within seconds, they had a bunch of stores down on braille paper. When Mariah collected them, she read them out loud. In the end, Hermione's team won the prize, and both Becca and Hermione gave each other a high five.

That night, Hermione decided that Becca was someone that could be trusted to tell her about magic. Becca was amazed by this, and begged to come to Diagon Alley too. Hermione told her that maybe another time. Sadly for them, little did they know that Krista heard Hermione telling Becca about magic. Noah caught sight of Krista looking shocked, and asked her what was so shocking. When Krista was done explaining, Noah knew that Hermione didn't mean to be overheard. He instructed Krista to keep the information to herself, as bullying is not tolerated. Krista listened but Noah got the feeling she did not really care about his opinion.

Noah let Hermione know that Krista heard her discussion about magic with Becca. Hermione's excitement faltered. Noah squeezed her shoulder and told her that he would let Scott know too.


	7. Too Far

**Chapter 7: Too Far**

Once Noah informed Scott about what Krista overheard, Scott stayed within listening distance of their groups for the rest of the evening, to make sure that nothing happened and Krista obeyed Noah's warning.

The next few days went well, and the team-building week was a success. On Friday, when the week was drawing to a close, Shannon, the programs manager, informed the students of future events that were coming up. Hermione was sad to hear that Andy was staying for training, meaning the drama would be worse. But she was glad to hear that Becca would be staying as well.

When Hermione was hanging out in the Social room on Saturday morning, Krista and Andy came into the room.

"Hey Hermione," said Krista. "I told Andy about your special powers."

"What?" said Hermione, "But Noah told you not to tell!"

"Do you think I listen to staff?" Krista asked. "Do you honestly think that I'll just be so quiet about this?"

"Who else have you told?" Hermione asked angrily.

"No one else, yet," said Krista. "But I'm about to, and you will be the one telling."

"No!" said Hermione. "Please don't do this!"

"Hermione, if you don't listen to Krista and go tell everyone right now, we will beat you up so you can't use your special power anymore," said Andy.

"You're threatening me?" cried Hermione, wishing that she could do something to both of them.

"Of course not Hermione," said Krista. "We're just warning you about what will happen if you don't go out there right now and tell everyone about magic!"

"You're going too far!" said Hermione. "I've had it! I'm going to the Support room!"

"No you're not!" said Andy.

Both Krista and Andy blocked the door. Hermione felt her anger boiling. Suddenly, she heard both of them screaming. The next thing she knew, there were footsteps in the hallway and the screaming stopped.

"What happened in here?" asked Kelsey.

"Hermione made us float, and we did nothing wrong!" said Krista.

Hermione gulped. She had lost control of her magic again. This was not good. "I didn't mean to, but they're the ones who threatened to beat me up if I didn't tell everyone about magic," said Hermione in a rush.

"Ok, thank you Hermione," said Kelsey. "Andy, Krista, you do know that bullying is not tolerated, correct?"

"Hermione's a liar!" said Andy. "We never said any of that!"

Kelsey sighed in frustration. She knew that these three students didn't get along, but this was going to the next level. "Please be honest with me," said Kelsey. "I don't think that Hermione would lie."

"Well, then you don't know her well enough!" said Krista. "In fact, you don't know her at all! She's the new kid!"

"Enough!" said Kelsey sternly.

Hermione felt tears rolling down her face. Why were they trying so hard to get her in trouble?

Kelsey didn't know what to do. She was used to drama, but normally students were more open to telling the truth. And never had she experienced students calling someone a liar to the point where the student cried. She knew how to help with pain and injuries, seeing as she was a medi-witch, but she wasn't sure how to make Hermione stop crying.

"I have no choice but to call the counselors," said Kelsey.

"We don't need counselors, we just need to kick Hermione out for being such a horrible liar!" said Andy.

"Yeah, you heard him!' said Krista.

Kelsey felt Hermione's magic swirling around, and knew that Hermione would lose control again if she didn't do something quick. She took Hermione, Krista, and Andy with her back to the Support room, and sent a message with her wand, to the counselors. She remembered the last time they had to get the counselors in on a weekend, which had bee when Krista was still a new student and she had tried making everything seem like other people's faults instead of hers. That was three months ago.

As they waited for the counselors, Krista glared at Kelsey, clearly mad that this had to happen for a second time. Minutes later, both counselors walked into the room, Karen looking out of breath while Scott seemed to be calm and collected. Kelsey figured this was because Scott could just apparate whereas Karen had to drive.

"What is going on?" Karen asked sternly.

Hermione explained what Krista and Andy said to her, and what they threatened to do. Kelsey then added in that Hermione had lost control of her magic, and was afraid that it would happen again if she didn't calm down soon.

Karen looked furious while Scott still seemed quite calm. Karen immediately took Andy to her office, and Scott took Krista to his office, promising Hermione that he would be coming to speak with her soon, and to stay in the Support room until he returned.

"Why did you threaten a student?" Scott asked Krista as soon as they got into the office.

"Hermione's a good-for-nothing girl who shouldn't be here," said Krista. "And this place is for people with no magic!"

"To wish harm on a student or to wish for them to be gone, is not acceptable," said Scott. "You have caused some very hurt feelings, and there is no rule in the handbook that states that people with magic cannot attend the training institute. You will be expected to apologize to Hermione, and I'm warning you right now. If you do anything like this again, you will find yourself packing up your belongings and leaving. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Krista. "But what are you going to do about Hermione?"

"Hermione did nothing wrong," said Scott. "I will be talking to her, but not to lecture her. But I'm warning you right now, you need to start respecting all of the students, and please stop trying to spread the word about magic. Your parents will also find out about this behavior. You are dismissed."

As soon as Krista left the room, Scott sent a patronus to Kelsey, requesting that Hermione come to his office. It was time to talk to Hermione about how to control her magic.


	8. Yoga For Magic Control

**Chapter 8: Yoga for Magic Control?**

Hermione walked down to Scott's office, after Kelsey told her that he was ready for her.

"Hello Hermione," said Scott. "I spoke with Krista, and while I will not tell you what was said, I will tell you that I talked to her about her behavior, so hopefully things will clear up. I would like to talk to you about is your magic."

"What about it?" Hermione asked.

"I think it's time you learn how to control your magic in situations where you're angry," said Scott. "I am going to suggest you take yoga classes on Thursday nights. Kim comes in to teach students who are interested. If you learn yoga and meditation, this will help you remain calm in situations where you feel angry, which will help your magic to not spark at the wrong moment. What do you think about taking yoga?"

"I don't really know much about it," said Hermione. "I've never heard of it before. I would like to know more before I agree to this."

"Understandable," said Scott. "I was thinking of going through an exercise right now to help you calm your magic down. You don't know this, but your magic is out of control right now. After this breathing exercise, you can decide if you want to do yoga. Deal?"

"Sounds good to me," said Hermione.

After about ten minutes, Hermione could already tell that she felt calmer. She no longer felt the urge to hurt Krista or Andy. It was not easy to calm her mind, but Scott said that it would take time to learn how to calm the mind easily.

"So, what did you think about what we just did?" Scott asked.

"I feel calmer," said Hermione. "I often get angry and want to hurt someone, but now I don't even feel that urge."

"Just as I thought," said Scott. "Getting angry doesn't solve the problem, and it prevents you from figuring out the best path forward."

"Kelsey told me that Karen looked really mad about what Andy and Krista did, but you were calm as if nothing was wrong. Now I know why!"

"Yes, that's because I use exercises, similar to the one you just did, in order for me to not lose control," said Scott. "It is especially important for witches and wizards to stay calm, because our magic could cause harm."

"I get it," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Too bad you can't just use magic to calm someone down."

"There is a type of magic for that, but that's healing magic, which is only used by trained healers," said Scott.

"Oh. So you can't use that kind of magic?" Hermione asked.

"I trained as a mind healer before accepting a job here," said Scott. "So yes, I can use healing magic, but I haven't ever used it with a student, because I haven't seen a need for it. Plus it will only help a student with magic."

"You really think that yoga can help me?" Hermione asked, feeling hopeful.

"Yes, I really do think that yoga will help you," said Scott. "I believe that yoga can help everyone."

"I'll do it!" Hermione replied. "I'll go to the yoga lessons on Thursday nights. Where are they held? Do I need to bring anything? Do I need to read or buy a book?"

"Hermione, slow down," said Scott with a laugh. "No book is needed, you don't have to bring anything, though I will recommend that you get your own yoga mat if you like yoga. Yoga classes will be held in the Social room at 1900 each Thursday."

"Oh, ok," said Hermione, feeling relieved that there was nothing to study for. "But what about the rest of the time, if I feel angry?"

"Try the exercise I showed you, and if you still feel angry, come talk with me, and we will figure it out," said Scott. "Either way, I will expect you to come to me even if you are able to calm yourself down, because we will need to talk about what caused you to get worked up in the first place. So, what caused you to get worked up today? Was it just what was being said to you?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Krista and Andy make me so mad sometimes. They're not very nice to me."

"Well, Karen and I will do the best we can do to keep them from being mean."

"Thank you," said Hermione.

"I will see you on Monday, unless there's anything else you would like to talk about?"

"No."

"Very well, see you on Monday then!" said Scott.

Hermione left the room in a very good mood. She couldn't wait to tell Becca that she was doing yoga with Kim on Thursdays.


	9. Diagon Alley

**Note:** In case someone forgot, we do not own Harry Potter and no copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 9: Diagon Alley**

The next week flew by. Hermione liked her classes and found that after having a full day of learning, having counseling was a good way to wind down for the day. She was grateful they decided that counseling would be her last class of the day.

On Thursday night, Hermione discovered yoga was fun. Kim was very nice and an excellent teacher. Her detailed descriptions helped the students learn how to do the poses. Hermione found some of them to be tricky, but knew that she would get better with more practice. She found it very relaxing, and left the room calm and relaxed. She made a mental note to thank Scott the next afternoon for suggesting yoga to her.

On Saturday morning, Kelsey knocked on Hermione's door. Hermione opened it.

"Good morning Hermione," said Kelsey. "Can you please come with me to the Support room?"

Hermione was nervous as she walked across the hall to the Support room.

"So," said Kelsey when she closed the door. "Scott is currently getting your parents, because today, you will be going with him and your parents, to Diagon Alley. I would go, but I have to work in here today. But when you get there, one of the teachers from Hogwarts will be there to give you a detailed tour of Diagon Alley, and there will be time for some exploring. If you wish to make a purchase, your parents will need to exchange pounds for the wizarding currency at Gringotts Bank.

"Ok," said Hermione. "Thank you!"

Just then, Scott walked in with her parents.

"Hello Hermione!" said her mum, pulling her into a hug. "Are you ready to go see what this Diagon Alley place is like?"

"Yes!" said Hermione excitedly.

The small group exited the building and headed for the nearest Tube station. Scott explained that the easiest way for them to reach The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley was to take the London Underground. Scott guided them through a transfer onto the correct line before leading them off at Charing Cross Station. Scott led them through the door of a dingy pub that Hermione's parents could only see if they were touching Hermione. Scott expertly weaved through the crowded pub and out the back door. He pulled out what had to be a magic wand and tapped a specific pattern of bricks. With a grinding noise, the wall re-formed itself into an archway.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," said Scott.

After they were inside, Hermione heard her parents gasp.

"This is so beautiful!" said her dad.

"Good morning," said an unfamiliar voice.

"Ah, hello Professor McGonagall," said Scott. "You must be our tour guide. The Headmaster was not specific about who would be meeting us. I have not seen you in ages."

"Same to you, Scott," said the lady, whom Hermione assumed was Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, this is Hermione Granger and her parents, Dr. and Dr. Granger," said Scott by way of introduction. "Everyone, this is Professor Minerva McGonagall. She is the Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House, and Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"It is nice to meet all of you," said Professor McGonagall as she shook hands. "I will be giving you a brief tour of the alley today and answering any questions you may have."

They first went to Gringotts, where Hermione's parents chose to exchange some pounds for gold galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts. Professor McGonagall explained that they would be able to set up an account for Hermione later, if they wished. They then went to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts where Hermione was practically vibrating with excitement. She loved books. Professor McGonagall explained to her that they would have to turn her textbooks into braille when she got them, until she could learn a spell to have them read aloud. To give her an example of the textbooks, Scott picked one out and turned it into braille. Hermione knew just enough braille to read the title, which was, The Standard Book Of Spells Grade 1. Hermione was grateful that it was in un-contracted braille, seeing as she had not yet learned the more commonly used type, though Marsha said she would be by the end of the summer.

Hermione's parents had to drag Hermione out of the store. Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile slightly. This girl would most likely be one of the top students in her year, and she wouldn't be surprised if she ended up in Ravenclaw.

Next, they went to an apothecary where people could purchase potions ingredients and brewing supplies and equipment. Hermione wrinkled her nose at the smell in there. She was interested to hear that all the different odd ingredients mixed together could create something totally new. She was told that there were some good potions, and there were dangerous potions, and one little mess-up could change the entire potion.

Hermione was sad when the tour ended, but knew this was only the first visit of many to come. Professor McGonagall encouraged her to speak with Scott about his time at Hogwarts, especially since he chose to attend with any magical means to fix his eyesight. Hermione was curious about the magical eyes that Professor McGonagall mentioned but decided to wait and do some research.

The group thanked Professor McGonagall for her time before heading back to the Training Institute via the Underground.

Hermione hugged her parents when they returned to the Training Institute. They left, happy to know more about the world Hermione would be entering in another year. Hermione went to the Social room and told Becca about her trip to Diagon Alley.


	10. Magical Eyes

**Chapter 10: Magical Eyes**

Monday came quickly. Hermione learned about the braille labels on the microwave, cooker, and the kitchen utensils. She realized the only difference was not being able to see the controls. The teacher insisted she use oven mitts to remove the dishes from the microwave, which Hermione thought was silly. The teacher listened to her complaints before explaining it prepared students to use them with the oven.

Hermione was a pro at cleaning the floors, cleaning the bathroom, and making her bed. Patricia told her that she would only need a couple more weeks of Personal Management.

On Monday afternoon, Hermione leaned against the wall outside of Scott's office, waiting for him to arrive. She had a lot of things to talk about with him.

"Hello!" said Scott's cheerful voice as he unlocked his door and ushered her inside. "How are you this afternoon?"

"I am well, thank you," said Hermione. "Er, I have two things to request. First, how do I get one of those label-making machines? And I want oven mitts, so I can keep from burning myself in cooking class or at home."

"We can get you the label-maker but you are on your own for the oven mitts. Your parents definitely have some and you can use the ones we have here for classes," said Scott. "I will just have you sign a paper, then you'll be all set."

"Thank you!" said Hermione. "Also, Professor McGonagall told me to ask about your time at Hogwarts. And she mentioned something about magical eyes."

"Ah, yes," said Scott. "Yes, I will tell you. I started my first year of Hogwarts in 1978. I was in Ravenclaw House."

"House?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Yes, Hogwarts divides its students into four dormitories, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindor is known for bravery, Hufflepuff is for the loyal, kind-hearted people that others often overlook. Ravenclaw is for the very smart students who love school, studying, and books. Slytherin is for people with cunning and ambition. I was in Ravenclaw, and I had top grades. I was made a Prefect in my Fifth Year, and Head Boy during my Seventh Year. Ravenclaw was definitely a good fit for me."

"Wow!" said Hermione. "I bet I'll be a Ravenclaw, because I love studying and books!"

"You never know what house you'll be in until you get there," said Scott. "You will be sorted with the Sorting Hat. It will determine where you belong. The hat sometimes makes surprising decisions. You might end up in Ravenclaw or you might not.

"Are the teachers good?" Hermione asked.

"The professors either have Masteries in their subject areas or many years of experience teaching them. The ghost who teaches History of Magic is the exception. Your best bet is to read the book and ignore his lectures. You have to attend the class but it is a great time to get your homework done. Most students use the time to nap. You will have a different potions' professor than I did as the Potions' Master currently teaching finished Hogwarts the year I started. He started teaching in the mid-1980s."

"As for the idea of magical eyes, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, connected me with Alastor Moody, or as you'll hear people call him, Mad-Eye Moody. He has this nickname because he has a magical eye that many people say is mad. The eye can see through walls and invisibility cloaks, in addition to providing normal sight to its user. Alastor Moody's job as an Auror allowed him to be part of the research into creating a magical eye. He lost an eye during the last wizarding war. They are available to use normal people but are still quite expensive which makes them not very practical. Perhaps someday the technology will reach a point where it is affordable to the average person."

"What's an Auror?" Hermione asked.

"An Auror is the equivalent of an elite police force or special operations military unit. The wizarding world does not have an army; instead they have Aurors and Hit Wizards. Hit Wizards are more of a standard police force."

"Thanks so much for telling me all of this!" said Hermione. "It really helps to know what to expect, and now I know what magical eyes are. Will I still have contact with you when I leave here?"

"Hermione, you're not leaving for a long time," said Scott with a laugh. "But yes, your parents have my phone number, so you'll still have contact with me. But when you go to Hogwarts, if you want to stay in touch with me, you will have to do it through Owl Post. Now, here's the paper I need you to sign so you can get the label-maker."

"Thank you," said Hermione.

Scott showed her where to sign, which Hermione wasn't sure how he knew, but he had to have enough sight to be able to tell.

"I will see you next time!" said Scott.


	11. Clara's Insight

**Chapter 11: Clara's Insight**

The next couple of weeks passed quickly. Krista was fairly quiet, which made Hermione happy, but also worry it was the calm before the storm.

Hermione's classes were going well. She was done with Personal Management and Life Skills, which gave her more free time to read books in the library. She had finally started learning contracted braille in braille class, which Marsha told her it was unusual to be ready for that level of braille that quickly, but that because Karen helped her study, it made the process go quicker.

As Hermione sat in the library on a Sunday night, reading a book called Little House On The Prairie, the door opened.

"Hello?" Krista's voice asked.

"Hello Krista," said Hermione. "How are you this evening?"

"I am fine, thank you very much," said Krista as she took the seat next to Hermione.

"What are you reading?"

"Little House On The Prairie," said Hermione.

"Give me the book," said Krista. She took the book before Hermione could reply. She threw it onto the floor before going to the shelves and throwing books onto the ground.

"Stop!" said Hermione.

"No more library for you, disgusting book-lover!" said Krista. "You seem to only like the library. I'm sure you only agreed to come here because you could read books."

"I came here to learn!" said Hermione. "I love books, but that's not the only thing I care about! My classes are very important to me! Now, pick these books up before I go tell staff!"

"No," said Krista. "You can pick them up yourself!"

"Have you not learned anything from talking to Scott about your behavior here?" Hermione asked angrily.

Krista snorted. "Hermione, what that counselor and I talk about is none of your business! And to answer your question, I can do whatever I want as long as I don't get caught!"

"Well, you're going to get caught now!" Hermione said. "Because I will tell the Support staff who threw these books!"

"This place would be 100% better without you here," said Krista.

Hermione left the library, feeling hurt and upset. She went to the Support Room. Clara was in there that night.

"Hello," said Hermione. "It's Hermione." She had learned to say who she was to all of the staff and students who were blind.

"Hello Hermione," said Clara. "How can I help you?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked. She wouldn't be surprised if Clara said to make it quick. After all, what she had to say wouldn't just take a minute. The support staff was always busy, and didn't have a lot of time to just talk.

"Of course you can talk to me!" said Clara. "Just close the door and take a seat."

Hermione did so, and said, "I'll try to be quick."

"Don't worry Hermione, you don't need to rush," said Clara. "I'm here to listen. Take as long as you need."

"Well, Krista's really making me mad," said Hermione. "She obviously hates me. She keeps saying that I shouldn't be here. And now, she's teasing me for loving books."

"How so?" Clara asked.

"She came into the library as I was reading Little House On The Prairie, and she took the book and threw it onto the floor, then started doing that for all the other books. Then she told me that I had to pick them all up, and called me a disgusting book-lover. I know that she was given a warning about her behavior, but when I brought it up to her, she just told me not to get into her business."

"I've read in your notes file that you and Krista don't get along, at all," said Clara. "Though Scott was very vague about it in the notes file."

"Yes, she and I don't get along at all," said Hermione. "Even from day one, she was very mean to me. I don't know what I did to make her hate me."

"Hermione, I was once a student here too," said Clara. "I had students on my case just because I liked a staff member's personality. The students made it a bigger deal than it was. I had to keep going to my counselor about the teasing, and even though the counselor was able to stop some of the teasing, it's hard to stop it completely. What I'm trying to point out here is that no matter where you are, there are students who will tease you for the silliest reasons. It might be because you lost your vision, it could be because you love books, it could be because you're black instead of white; you name it."

"I guess you're right," said Hermione thoughtfully. "How can I deal with Krista?"

"You have many options such as ignoring them, defending yourself when they make you angry, or do what I do, which is say something in response that they're not expecting. If you do that, it will catch them by surprise, and if you keep doing that, they won't tease you as often, because you don't say what they expect you to say. And of course, go to your counselor about any teasing."

"Wow! Thanks Clara!" Hermione exclaimed. "This really helped!"

"Hold on, before you go," said Clara quickly. "Also remember, when you get upset, do some yoga, like Scott suggested, and practice what you learn in yoga classes with Kim. Because the calmer and more relaxed you are when things are going wrong, the better it can be handled. There is nothing wrong with loving books and reading. It is a hobby that I adore too."

"Ok, thank you," said Hermione.

"You're welcome! Have a great night, and always feel free to come talk with me when I'm here!"


	12. Krista's Story

**Chapter 12: Krista's Story**

The next day, Hermione avoided Krista. Krista must have been lectured for her behavior, because she didn't try bullying Hermione or seeking her out. Hermione finished her classes for the day, and decided to go to the library to continue reading Little House On The Prairie.

As soon as she walked in, Hermione heard someone crying. "Who's in here?" she asked.

"It's Krista," said Krista's voice, but it didn't sound like her usual cold voice.

"Why are you crying?" Hermione asked.

"It's none of your business!" said Krista.

"Fine but I'll listen if you want to talk," said Hermione.

"You would laugh at me if I told you," said Krista.

"No, I won't laugh at you," said Hermione as she took a seat across from Krista.

"Well, I haven't told anyone this before," said Krista. "But the day before I came here, my sister was being bullied at school, and the bully was so nasty, that they stabbed her. She died later that night, and it's all because she stood up for herself and a few other students. After that, my parents told me to always protect myself first and stop making friends because defending friends is dangerous. They encouraged me to bully others so no one would mess with me. My sister was killed by a bully so I don't understand why my parents want me to be like her killers."

"So that's why you've been treating me so badly?" Hermione asked.

"Yes! But now, I have no friends! I want friends, but my parents say that safety is more important than making friends!"

"What about Andy?" Hermione asked.

"My parents told me that the only people I can respect are my family! They told me to stop being friends with Andy, and really, I only hung out with him because he liked my mean treatment of others. But I don't want to be a bully! I want people to like me, but I can't! I have to be alone in order to stay safe!"

"Why didn't you talk to Scott or Karen about this?" Hermione asked.

"Because I would get in trouble for telling!" Krista sobbed.

"No, you're not going to be in trouble for telling," said Hermione. "In fact, I'm going to get both of the counselors in here."

"Oh no!" said Krista. "I'll be kicked out! Then my parents will be so mad at me!"

Hermione didn't know what else to say. She felt so bad for Krista. She walked out of the library and went to Scott's office. Karen was already in there. It sounded like they were having a little meeting.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you both need to come with me to the library," said Hermione.

Within five minutes, Scott, Karen, and Hermione were back in the library.

"Krista!" said Karen. "What's wrong?"

Krista remained silent. With a little encouragement from Scott, Krista finally spilled out the whole story to the counselors.

"Thank you for telling us," said Scott. "Do you understand that it was wrong for your parents to think that bullying would keep you safe, because it could have caused more trouble for you if you hadn't told us. I will have you come with me to my office, and we will decide how to handle this. And no, you are not in trouble."

"Your parents will be in trouble for encouraging you to bully others," said Karen. "And if anything serious like this ever happens again, you need to let an adult know. While it wasn't your fault for bullying, if you continue to bully students, there will be consequences."

"Thank you!" said Krista. "And Hermione, I'm sorry for being so mean to you. I think it's great that you have magic, and I wish you the best. I know you might not forgive me for what I've done, but can you give me another chance?"

"Yes," said Hermione.

Scott left with Krista, while Karen stayed in the library with Hermione.

"Hermione, we are so proud of you," said Karen. "You did the right thing by coming to find us. Thanks to you, we will be able to help Krista get out of this mess."

Hermione smiled. She was glad that she could help.


	13. The Exit Meeting

**Chapter 13: The Exit Meeting**

Two weeks later, Scott informed Hermione that it was her last week at the Training Institute. She couldn't believe that her time there was almost over. She had been getting along with Krista, and they even exchanged phone numbers and addresses so that they would be able to stay in touch. Scott informed Hermione that all of her teachers, her parents, and him would be in attendance.

On her last day, everyone met in the conference room. Hermione sat with her parents, and waited for everyone to arrive. She'd spent a couple hours that morning packing all of her belongings and saying goodbye to her friends.

"Good morning!" said Scott. "Today, we are having an exit meeting for Hermione Granger. Hermione came here after losing her vision. We were all surprised at how well Hermione dealt with her vision loss, as many students do not cope well with the changes. Hermione had some interesting things happen to her this summer, from finding out that she is magical, to her having difficulties with two of the students here, to her doing the right thing and taking Karen and myself to the library to help a student whom she used to dislike. Hermione followed all of the rules and guidelines while in her training. Hermione took yoga classes with Kim each Thursday evening. She made a lot of progress over the summer. Patricia?"

"Hermione is a very fast learner, both in Cooking and Personal Management," said Patricia. "She already knew how to clean, so it was simply a matter of her adjusting to doing so without being able to see. As with cleaning, Hermione already had some skills in the kitchen so she learned quickly how to safely spread, pour liquids, safely use knives, and handle hot dishes from both the microwave and oven. I am quite impressed. I suggest that Hermione continue working on her cooking skills under supervision. Wendy?"

"Hermione did well in Life Skills class. She learned how to use the label-making device, and she now has one of her own. I suggest she label the groceries with her label-maker. As her parents, you can decide what to label in the house beyond the stove and microwave. Just because she is blind, does not make her incapable of using the skills she has. She is more than capable of helping out around the house. Amber?"

"Hermione had trouble adjusting to using a cane in the beginning," said Amber. "After a while however, she got it down. I had her practice travelling out in the community, at malls, stores, and more. After all, Scott told me that Hermione was going to be using her cane and be able to walk in confusing places, because Hogwarts is huge, and she'll be walking a lot there. Hermione, how do you feel about walking in unfamiliar areas?"

"Much better than I did," said Hermione. "Sure, I'll probably get lost at Hogwarts a few times, but that's ok."

"Hermione, everyone, even sighted people, get lost in Hogwarts at first," said Scott. "So don't feel like you're the only one who will get lost. It took me and my friends more than two weeks to stop getting lost in that school."

"Anyway," said Amber. "Hermione did well in travel. I suggest that Hermione keep travelling in her home community over the next school year, so she will have plenty of practice with her cane before going off to Hogwarts. Marsha?"

"Hermione learned braille quicker than any other student I've ever worked with," said Marsha. "This is partially because Karen took the time to go over the braille and study with Hermione. Plus, Hermione is a very fast learner, like Patricia already said. Hermione will need a braille teacher to braille her work for her at her school, and when she goes to Hogwarts, her work will have to be turned into braille, including her textbooks. Hermione, you did very well, keep reading. Caitlin?"

"Hermione did well in computers," said Caitlin. "She got a new tablet a couple of days after she got here, and I must say, she learned how to use it very quickly. However, when I showed her JAWS, she got irritated with it immediately, and said that she didn't want to use it. I told her that she would have to get used to it, because she will need to use it in the future. But overall, she was quick to learn how to use the computer, seeing as she played educational games on her parents' computer when she had her vision. I suggest that she keep practicing using JAWS, and while you do have to pay for JAWS, we can help with that cost. Hermione, you will have to speak to Scott before you leave regarding this."

"Thank you everyone," said Scott. "Hermione, do you have any questions for us before we end this meeting?"

"No," said Hermione. "But I will miss it here. Thank you everyone for helping me out."

"Very well. Hermione, you are officially done with your training. You did very well, and your report will be emailed to you soon, when it is complete."

"Report?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. Each student gets a report after they leave here that goes over what they covered during their training."

Hermione smiled. It would be great to see what was in her report. Before she left, she and her parents talked to Scott about getting JAWS on her parents' computer, then picked up her belongings from her room and headed home. She was glad that she was now able to be independent, but she was also sad that she had to leave all of her friends at the Training Institute. On the way home, she told her parents all about her time at the Training Institute. They looked at each other and smiled. They knew that Hermione loved school, and that she loved to talk about her education, but now she had even more to talk about.


End file.
